Riverdale
Riverdale
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Riverdale

"To save the future, they must survive the past."

8.4
Yr 2017
Rt 45m
Status Ended
Crime Drama Mystery
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

Set in the present, the series offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica and their friends, exploring the surreality of small-town life, the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 65 /100

Riverdale polarized critics upon its release, with many labeling it a quintessential "guilty pleasure" defined by its campy tone, dark reimagining of classic characters, and melodramatic plotting. While some reviewers lauded the stylish cinematography and the show's successfully addictive, mysterious atmosphere, others found the writing boorish and the narrative inconsistent as the series progressed.

Reception remains split on whether the show succeeds as a subversive noir or collapses under the weight of its own eccentric tonal shifts. Supporters appreciate the blend of high school drama and gothic mystery, while detractors express frustration with its reliance on soap-opera tropes and departures from its source material.

“An eerie and offbeat take on the high school mythos — both addictive and confusing in equal parts.”

“As long as you’re willing to put up with the campiness and cheesy melodramatics, Riverdale might just become your next guilty-pleasure show.”

“Boorish writing, a near-pathological focus on relationships, and laughable events that lack the tongue-in-cheek quality found in earlier episodes.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Netflix
US • UK
Netflix Standard with Ads
US • UK
Why fans love it

Launched in 2017, this teenage drama reframes classic Archie Comics characters as central figures in a dark crime mystery. Beneath the small town's wholesome facade lies a surreal world filled with murder investigations, rich family power dynamics, and psychological manipulation. Viewers lean into the show's deliberate weirdness, where standard high school stories unfold right alongside plot threads involving a mental institution and a lost brother.

The series seamlessly balances heightened romantic drama, featuring classic love triangles and a prominent lesbian relationship, with shadowy, brooding suspense. Lili Reinhart and the ensemble navigate constant shifts between emotional teenage angst and murky criminal intrigue. The result is an unapologetically moody experience for fans who enjoy high-stakes drama mixed with stylized mystery.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 15
Longest run 137 eps
KJ Apa
KJ Apa
as Archie Andrews
137 episodes
Lili Reinhart
Lili Reinhart
as Betty Cooper
137 episodes
Camila Mendes
Camila Mendes
as Veronica Lodge
137 episodes
Cole Sprouse
Cole Sprouse
as Jughead Jones
137 episodes
Madelaine Petsch
Madelaine Petsch
as Cheryl Blossom
137 episodes
Casey Cott
Casey Cott
as Kevin Keller
137 episodes
Charles Melton
Charles Melton
as Reggie Mantle
103 episodes
Drew Ray Tanner
Drew Ray Tanner
as Fangs Fogarty
100 episodes
Show 67 more
Luke Perry as Fred Andrews 48 episodes Vanessa Morgan as Toni Topaz 119 episodes Erinn Westbrook as Tabitha Tate 45 episodes Mädchen Amick as Alice Cooper 137 episodes Skeet Ulrich as FP Jones 73 episodes Mark Consuelos as Hiram Lodge 84 episodes Trevor Stines as Jason Blossom 21 episodes Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge 76 episodes Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy 41 episodes Sarah Desjardins as Donna Sweett 16 episodes Hart Denton as Chic 13 episodes Daniel Yang as Dilton Doiley 17 episodes Sarah Habel as Geraldine Grundy 10 episodes Hayley Law as Valerie Brown 16 episodes Rob Raco as Joaquin DeSantos 10 episodes Henderson Wade as Michael Minetta 8 episodes Sommer Carbuccia as Eric Jackson 8 episodes Brit Morgan as Penny Peabody 11 episodes Gina Gershon as Gladys Jones 8 episodes Julian Haig as Elio 8 episodes Beverley Breuer as Sister Woodhouse 11 episodes Chad Michael Murray as Edgar Evernever 8 episodes Bernadette Beck as Peaches 'N Cream 10 episodes Eli Goree as Munroe 'Mad Dog' Moore 13 episodes Major Curda as Dilton Doiley 8 episodes Alex Barima as Johnathan 12 episodes Sean Depner as Bret Weston Wallis 19 episodes Zoé De Grand Maison as Evelyn Evernever 22 episodes Doralynn Mui as Joan Berkeley 14 episodes Scott McNeil as Tall Boy 10 episodes Bentley Storteboom as Dagwood 10 episodes Barclay Hope as Clifford Blossom 29 episodes Robin Givens as Sierra McCoy 29 episodes Asha Bromfield as Melody Valentine 15 episodes Jordan Connor as Sweet Pea 36 episodes William MacDonald as Principal Featherhead 20 episodes Trinity Likins as Jellybean Jones 23 episodes Kerr Smith as Holden Honey 9 episodes Mishel Prada as Hermosa Lodge 11 episodes Moses Thiessen as Ben Button 17 episodes Emilija Baranac as Midge Klump 10 episodes Malcolm Stewart as Freiderich Werthers 26 episodes Marion Eisman as Doris Bell 21 episodes Nathalie Boltt as Penelope Blossom 61 episodes Lochlyn Munro as Hal Cooper 51 episodes Alison Araya as Janet Weiss 12 episodes Wyatt Nash as Charles Smith 19 episodes Shannon Purser as Ethel Muggs 25 episodes Peter Bryant as Waldo Weatherbee 44 episodes Greyston Holt as Glen Scot 10 episodes Molly Ringwald as Mary Andrews 36 episodes Tom McBeath as Smithers 22 episodes Cody Kearsley as Moose Mason 35 episodes Alvin Sanders as Pop Tate 71 episodes Barbara Wallace as Nana Rose Blossom 52 episodes Ryan Robbins as Frank Andrews 39 episodes Nikolai Witschl as Dr. Curdle Jr. 29 episodes Nicholas Barasch as Julian Blossom 18 episodes Abby Ross as Midge Klump 14 episodes Karl Walcott as Clay Walker 18 episodes Garry Chalk as Al Fieldstone 10 episodes Kyra Leroux as Britta Beach 18 episodes Hannah Bos as Young Betty Cooper 9 episodes Tiera Skovbye as Polly Cooper 32 episodes Alix West Lefler as Juniper 9 episodes Martin Cummins as Tom Keller 78 episodes Chris O'Shea as Percival Pickens 16 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Steadicam Operator
Bruce Borland
First Assistant "B" Camera
Ju, Hyung Joo Kim
Assistant Property Master
Breanne Harper Milan Elliott
Best Boy Grip
Phil Blaxley Lucas Margetson
Director of Photography
James Liston Ronald Richard Shamus Whiting-Hewlett Vlad Horodinca
First Assistant "A" Camera
Jackson Harper
"B" Camera Operator
Trevor Holbrook Scott Nuttall Dean Friss Thomas Walker
Key Grip
Taylor Glenn Ryder Nadeau Justin Tocher
Production Design
Dustin Farrell
Property Master
Andras Bagoly
Graphic Designer
Christine Chee-Ling-Kwok
Assistant Set Decoration
Kathleen Ross Devon Shirley
Costume Designer
Rebekka Sorensen
Hair Department Head
Victoria Fernandez
"A" Camera Operator
Steven Deneault
Assistant Art Director
Carmen Lee
Creator
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Set Decoration
Denise Nadredre
Construction Foreman
Dan Snelgrove
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Riverdale overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

love triangle casino witch killing small town amateur detective magic manipulation bisexuality college graduation musical farm cult high school based on comic revenge lesbian relationship board game diner school mental institution shooter twins group of friends lgbt murder investigation small town sheriff criminal gang cliffhanger grudge teenage romance teen drama young adult murder mystery rich family imaginative parallel universe supernatural power dark gay relationship fbi agent lost brother teenager biker gang absurd offbeat romantic bold melodramatic
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
January 26, 2017
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
45 minutes
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
13,750